Locomotive-booster apparatus



AvAmLE COPY,

March 30 1926. 1,578,569

w. E. WOODARD LOCOMOTIYE BOOSTER APPARATUS Filed June 13, 1923 '2 Sheets$heet 1 117M553 W- Z, (TI TOR March 30 1926.

W. E. WOODARD LOCOMOTIVE BOOSTER APTARATUS 1923 2 SLeets-Sheefv Filed June 18 A TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 30, 126.b

umrso STATES rocoirorrvn-noosrnn fissures.-

Application filed June is; 1923. Serial No. 645,952.

To all whom may concern: I

Be it known that L'lrVILLIAM E. Woounnn,

' "a citizenof the United States, residing at Forest Hills, in the county-of Queens and State of New'York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Locomofive-Booster Apparatus, of which the following is a'specification.-

This invention relates to locomotivev booster or auxiliarymotors for aiding the locomotive in starting a train or in helping it during hard pulls at comparatively slow speeds. .S-uclrmotors are arranged to drive any weight supporting axle either on the locomotive .or on the tender.

My invention is particularly useful in connection with the application of a booster or auxiliary engine to one of the axles of a four wheeled truck although it might very readily be incorporated in a truck having a difi'erent number of wheels.

The principal object of the invention is to increase the load normally carried by the booster driven axle at such times as the booster is operating. It is a well recognized principle that in a truck having two or more wheel axles the most advantageous distribntion of wheel loads is to have the weights at the rail on each pair of wheels substantially equal. It iscvident that the wheels to which the booster isv attached should have a weight sufiicient to give proper adhesion when the booster isin operation.

With-wrest truck designs having two or more wheel axles it will be found that under normal running conditions of the locomotire (that is with the booster idle) the load upon each pair of wheels will be less than that required or at least less than that which is advantageous for the proper functioning of the booster. With a booster capable of developing a certain power it is obvious that the wheels of the axle which it drives should carry enough weight to provide proper. adhcsion between such wheels and the rails. My invention therefore contemplatesithe provision of a booster apparatus which will give proper distribution of the weight between the various axles during suchtime' as the booster .is not operating but which will give an increased weight to the wheels of the booster driven axle whenever the booster is in operation.

With the foregoing'in mind more specificobjects of my invention reside in the pro VlSlOIl of an apparatus for increasing the PATENT OFFICE. I

load normally carried by a booster driven axle which is directly under the control of the booster system itself so that the'increase in load Wlll be provided automatically.

The foregoing together with such other 1 objects as are incident to my invention or may appear hereinafter I'attain bymeans of a construction which is illustrated in preferred form inthe accompanying drawings,

' which drawings disclose the/invention as applied to a tour wheeled trailer truck under the tire box and cab at the rear end of a locomotive. The truck structure per se is disclosed in my copendin application, set-1.11 No. 576,788, filed ul 22nd, 1922, which can be referred to if desired.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagramxn'atical layout of a locomotive booster apparatus' embodying my improvements and Fig; 2 is a side elevation of the rear end of a locomotive to which my improvements have been applied. In connection with Fig. 2 it will be understood, of course, that there are many parts of the locomotive structure omitted since they form no partof the present invention.

Referring to the drawings .it will be seen that I have shown the rear end of the locomotive 1- as being mounted upon atrailer truck 2 provided with a pair of wheel axles 3 and4, the axle-3 being provided with a pair 0'. wheels 5 which 8.1'8,'0f greater diameter than the wheels ,6 on the axle 4. The truck is articulated at; its forward end 7 to the rriain frame 8 of the locomotive.

The weight carried by the truck is trans mitted to the axles 3 and' l through the springs 9 and 10 and equalization is efiected by means of the equalizing-mechanism including the links 11 and 12, the equalizing lever 13, the link 14, lever 16 andlinlr 15.

It willbe noticed that the outer end of the lever 16 is connected by means of the link 15 to one end of the spring 17 associated with the main frame and wheels of the locomotive. y

The lever 16 is normally fulcrumed at the point 18 and the lever 13111: the point 19.

It will be understood, of course, that a simi-' lar, structure exists at both sides of 'the locomotive but inasmuch as they are dtiplicates I only one side has been illustrated. The locomotive booster A is arranged to drive the rear axle 3 with which it is asso-g Clilttld. 1n a manner now.well-uuderstood in this art. For the purposes of this applicaadmitted to the operating cylinder 23 through the medium of pipe 24 and when this is done idler gear 21 is moved into engagement with driven gear 22.

It will be noted that the booster is so mounted that its center of gravity is out side the wheel base of the truck.

Since the details of the booster controlling mechanism do not form a part of the present invention they will be described but briefly. When it is desired to use the booster motor the valve 25 is'moved in any suitable mannor, preferably by means of a latch 26 and lever 27 associated with the reverse lever 28, so as to establish communication between the air reservoir 29 and the pipe-24--This as previously stated throws the idler gear 21 into mesh with the driven gear 22 after which air pressure can pass out of the operating cylinder 23 into the pi 30 from whence it flows to the dome piot valve 31 and is there blocked until such time as the main driving means of the locomotive is functioning.

1 Prior to this time however the booster motor is slowly reciprocated by the admission of steam in small quantities through the valve controlled by-pass 32 which carries the steam around the booster throttle 33 from the booster dry pipe 34 to the booster dry pipe 35. The valve 36 in the by-pass 32 is hopened by air pressure from the pipe 24 which is admitted through the pipe 37.

After the main throttle, not illustrated herein, is opened pressure from the locomotive dry pipe is admitted to the dome pilot valve 31 through the pipe 38 whcreu on the pressure previously blocked from tile pipe 30 is allowed to pass through the pipe 39 to the booster throttle operating mechanism "40. This opens the booster throttle'33 and allows full pressure to how fiom' the pipe 34 to the pipe and thence to the booster cyl inders. v l a i At the same time that the idler gear is being thrown into mesh with'the driven gpar 22 air pressure is admitted to the cyl-' 1 der 41 through pipes 24, 37 and 42. There is a piston in this cylinder which acts through the piston rod 43 to move the bell crank lever 44. This motion changes the fulcrum for the lever 13 from the point'19 to the point 45 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

y thus changing the fulcrum point of the lever 13, am enabled to throw a greater proportion 'of the load u on the driven axle 3 than upon the other ax e 4-. There are two cylinders 41 with their associated apparatus,

'actl one on each side of the truck, but they are 20 the manner indicated inasmuch as it I migut be associated with the booster controlp linghsystem in any way desire To accom: plis certain features of my invention it is not even necessary that the cylinder 41 be coupled to the controlling system of the booster motor at all inasmuch as it might be supplied. with fluid pressure from some other source. It is an added part of my invention however to associate the cylinder,

41 with the booster controlling system.

The invention enables me to use a booster motor of a size larger than the average size since the adhesion between the wheels 5 and objection to increasing the weight on the driven wheels. Where the normal load upon a given axle would be say 55,000 or 60,000 lbs. I propose to increase, this to say.

7 0,000 or 7 5,000 lbs. at times when the booster is operating. These figures are urely approximations and are not inten ed in any way to act as upper or lower limits. By my invention I am enabled to make the booster motor a much more valuable assisting unit since it is of greater size and has a greater tractive power.

I claim:

1. The method of operating a locomotive unit including the usual main driving wheels and at least one pair of normally idle weight carrying wheels and a booster motor for driving idle wheels to supplement the main drivers in starting and at slow speed, which consists in increasing the weight on the wheels driven by the booster motor when the latter is operated. v

2.111 a, locomotive tractive unit provided with a truck having at least two axles with normally idle weight carrying wheels, the combination of'a booster motor ad'apted'to drive one of said'axles and meansior increasing the load on said axle booster is in operation. i

3. In a locomotive tractive-unit provided when the .120

anism'for the booster motor, and means unbooster motor, and means under the influence. of said. controlling mechanism for shifting the fuicrum of said lever to throw a greater proportion of the load on the driven axle when-the booster is operating.

5. The combination with a locomotive, of a pair of load supporting wheel axles, e 'ualizer mechanism for distributing the loa between said axles which includes the usual pivoted lever, a booster for driving one of said axles, a fluid pressure actuated controlling mechanism for the booster motor, means for shifting the fulcrum of said lever to throw a greater proportion ofthe'load on the driven axle when the booster is in' operation, and a motor means for o rating said fulcrum shifting means which is actuated by fluid pressure from the booster controlling mechanism.

6. In a truck having two wheel axles the combination of a booster motor adapted to drive one of said axles mounted with its center of gravity outside the wheel base of I the truck and means for increasing the load on the driven axle when the booster is in operation.

7. The combination of a locomotive with its usual driving wheels, a normally idle weight supporting axle with its wheels, a booster motor for driving said axle atstarting or at comparatively low speeds, and means for increasing the weight carried by said axlewhen the booster is operating.

8. The combination of a locomotive-with its usual driving wheels, a normally idle weight supporting axle-with its wheels, a booster motor for driving said axle at starting or at comparativel low speeds, a con trolling system for sai booster motor, and means subject to said controlling system for increasing the weight carried by said axle when the booster is operatin i 9. The combination of a locomotive with its usual driving wheels, a normally idle to weight supporting axle with its wheels, equalizer mechanism for distributin the weight, a booster motor for driving said axle at starting or at comparatively low speeds,

a controlling system for said booster motor,

and means sub ect to said controlling system 7 for affecting the equalizer mechanism to distribute moreLtha-n the normal degree of load to said x1e and wheels when the booster is opera In testimony signed my name.

WILLIAM WOODARID.

mg. 6 w ereof, I have hereunto 

